jonthomas

There is no point saying how wonderful everything was in March and April. There were no extraordinary issues at that time. We also flew in March for an O cruise. Yes on the day of the cruise. Someone here said it is a small price to pay for peace of mind to go in a couple of days early and stay in hotel. It is very relative what is a small price for some may not be for others. Deviation would cost 350, a couple of nights in hotel another 600 at least...meals ...incidentals...so you can add another 1, 000 to your cruise cost. Not small price to me. Not to mention extra time away from work.

Well I can only assume that there are very few people on CC, or very few travelling right now. So many screaming all over the world of the horrors of air travel right now, but no mention here...all is rosy and happy here. Not a single post of how someone has missed the cruise since so many flights are cancelled forcing travelers to spend countless nights and days at the airports waiting to be rebooked. Someone might even mention that I should post evidence if this. Just read the news. Has anyone spoken to cruise line reps to see what cruise lines are doing about ensuring their passengers get onto the ship? I havent since our cruise is in November, but surely there are those who are cruising now or about to be cruising. I guess I really have my answer, there is no interest in this topic and no one is having any issues. All is well and all are happy,

Its NOT the covid I am referring to...we have also been on a cruise in March...yes our whole trivia team came down with covid...some in Marseille hospital, some left stranded in Barcelona to quarantine... but I am talking about having to go days earlier, in case all or some flights are cancelled....having to do without luggage, just a carry on, since so much of the luggage is being lost...apple tags are not helping... those are todays ordeals...just surprised no one is talking about them... we did NOT have airline and baggage issues in March...

Yes host, I hear you. Just surprised there arent more posts from those who are travelling right now and what ordeal they are encountering. Just reading that all is very rosy does not give one the real picture.

yes but how was it getting to the ship and getting home? did your luggage arrive? I am surprised that there are not more stories here about what you have to go through to get onto the ship and then back home.

This is all way too much for me. we are doing a TA from Bar to Mia in Nov.... I dont want to hang out somewhere for 3 to 4 days waiting for the cruise..been to barcellona many times, dont want several days there, not to mention the expense of deviation, 175 pp and hotel....O should really wave deviation at this time... wish I had cancelled before final pay...this is no way to enjoy travelling... guess our only hope is that things will improve by november....but I dont think so... air lines are saying things are improving a bit now...yeah because they have cancelled most of their flights....still luggage lying on the tarmac with no one bothering to look at it... just awful....

Does anyone know what O is doing at this time to make sure they get their passengers on?

With the ongoing chaos of Air travel, should cruise lines extend the amount of time before leaving port? Are people finding that with cancelled air and delays, they are not making it onto the ship? And what about all the luggage that never makes it onto the ship? Should Cruise ships start making up little care packages for all the missing luggage that passengers will never get and changing the dress code. If I travel with only a carry on for a 15 day cruise, I will definitely be worse dressed than a homeless person. Not maligning homeless people. Our cruise is not till November but I see little to no improvement by then. Here we are seeing videos of all kinds of luggage just lying out in on the tarmac, with no one paying any attention to it. So if not covid and all the issues of that, now add the getting to the ship on time and then managing with no luggage. I just had a friend who flew from Orlando, a short 2 hour flight and still his luggage was lost. So what chance does anyone flying overseas or transcontinental have. And it you have any stopovers, might as well throw your luggage in the garbage before you leave home.

we have done 3 cruises...will have to look up our credits..but I am sure we have only 3....

Just awful, if it isn't covid issues it is the airport issues. So crowds are ok at airports but nowhere else, except riots and protests of course. We are doing all we can to resume travelling, but seems all around us factors are against us. We fly with O, they need to tell us what we need to do to get to the ship. Deviation fees need to be dropped to encourage coming in a day or several days earlier. Our cruise is not till November. Hopefully things will improve by then. Cruise lines suffering from the covid restrictions will now also suffer from the hoops travelers need to jump through. Many are cancelling their cruises because it has become terribly difficult to get to the ship and then get back home. We have made final pay and have to go through with it.

Until you have done 10 cruises with O, there is a hefty deviation cost if you fly in the day before. Hotel cost is understandable. With the chaos that is happening in most airports, I cant see anyone getting anywhere on time. O should recommend coming in the day before, but if they recommend it, shouldnt they wave the deviation fee? I have several acquaintances who have cancelled their cruises because of what is going on at the airports. They feel this will not be cleared up by the fall. Due to the stress of it all, easier to just cancel before FP.

we were on a TA in March, it was a two segment cruise, 10days and then 7....there was a change in staff at the end of the ten days, service and food really suffered at that point.... new staff needed training.... Im sure by the time they will be on the ship for several more legs, the O quality will be back.....

Thank you for this reminder. I got a reminder that it is also true for 30 days post sailing, was told that as a fact on the ship as well, but then was told by others here that it is not true and that the agents on the ship that have been saying that , have been spoken to by the "important people". Oceania also did not honor this rule for us, even though they knew we were told that by their agent on the Riviera. No good will !!! We are on the ship again in November and will see if the 30 day post cruise rule is offered to us again. This time will get in writing. But then still no guarantee that someone more important will not veto it. Hate these discrepancies.

Yes that is understood and I think are the major reasons why booking cruises has hit a slump.

To add to all the rules for covid, there are also now issues for getting staff. Seems there are difficulties with Visas. We are also all booked for the next two years with 3 cruises each year. Hoping to get to the magic number 10. O has a very good loyalty program. Wish we had not wasted all those years going on Celebrity, reaching almost the highest level with never being able to reach the top.

The being "trapped" is a real possibility as we have read many accounts of that happening much too often. Perhaps that is the main reason for holding off cruise bookings.

All good ideas. Thank you.

I found the pricing for the new releases to be quite good. It was actually a surprise since I expected it to be much higher to make up for lost revenue. So that cant be the reason. I know many are eager to get out there and live again, but are they actually doing it? Not sure about that.

Other than the Around the world cruise, seems to me that very little else is selling. I was very eager to book the new itins when they first came out. I was told that the French Balconies on the Vista will be sold out very quickly. I look at the bookings I made and others, 6 in total, everything is available. In the past, opening prices and choice of cabins would bring many to make bookings. Seems not to be the case anymore. Perhaps I should have waited till October for the 30 day BEFORE sailing to book my 2024 cruises and saved. But then prices would have gone up and the French Balconies would be gone. That was my thinking. But now I see very little is selling and much is available. I know cruise lines are now plagued with shortages of staff and are cancelling sailings and I am sure the covid restrictions, rules, quarantines are really affecting the cruising climate. Any other thoughts out there.

That was our experience as well on the Riviera this March/April.

We have cruised widely, 5 of the seven continents but now only Carib and TAs. To minimize the possibility of the nightmares we are reading here. Yes of course still taking a chance. I have said here many times now, that we returned on April 4 from a TA. We were the only ones in our trivia team of 8 that did not have covid. One team member in ships hosp for several days then into hosp in Marseille, two quarantined for a week or so, three tested pos when they got home. It was a 17 day crossing. We enjoyed our cruise very much. But I'm sure I would not be saying that had we experienced what our teammates had. And it is not about masks. We didnt wear them, most of our teammates did.

A nightmare for you.

Ah yes, we are on the marina, nov 19. Yes we love TAs as well.

Sophie we are also on this itin. Come on over to the roll call. It falsely says Monte Carlo to Mia...but we are trying to get it fixed to say BAR to MIA. Nov 19, 2022.

We got off the Riviera in April. The food was good until half way, when staff changes were made. Then it was hit or miss and certainly service was noticeably different as well. One more comment...we had dreamed of Red Ginger as it had been a long time since we were able to experience it again. Well the dream did not come true. I found it to be very different than I had remembered. Items were very greasy, dripping oil. All food had a certain smell. Even the sea bass was not flaky and moist. Perhaps that also had something to do with the staff changes. Still the best food at sea we had was on the little Insignia, just pre covid. Amazing in all venues.